By Janice Villanueva As a mompreneur, my weeks are filled with a hundred and one appointments. But the beauty of being a mompreneur is that my time is my own. I can arrange my schedule so that I can block off days where I can work from home.

I particularly like working at home because I get to pursue my passion with my children nearby, doing their own thing. Coby would be doing his homework, Zach and Reese would be baking, and I’d only be footsteps away, happy to be within earshot of their cheerful chatter.

But because I often get too caught up in work, I make sure to take mini-breaks away from my desk. I’d ask Reese to teach me her latest lesson in her hip hop class. Sometimes, we take the dog out for a walk. Other times, we take merienda together.

More than shared experiences, constant communication is also important in maintaining healthy family relationships. Whether it’s sharing family meals to talk about the highlights of the day or having heart-to-heart talks to tackle weightier issues, it is best to keep an open line.

Day-to-day communications are equally significant, and I am happy to note that we are all always online, from Gary down to Reese. We all love being connected on mobile, on Viber, on social media. We have a family Viber group called The Flying V’s and we message each other throughout the day. When either of the boys will be home late from school or from gimmick, we can easily check how they are doing as they are accessible on mobile. When they need something for a school project, they just send us a message, and we’ll know of it right away.

At times, Gary and I would find ourselves on business trips but our mobile habits stay the same. We are in touch with our kids through Viber, Facetime, or iMessage by using Smart’s Surfabroad or Smart Travel Wifi.

Whether physically or virtually, we are there for each other all the time!

I daresay that I have become a more effective mother through technology, and a daughter who’s more in touch, too.

I love it that my mom knows how to use social messaging apps. We message each other regularly to check up on each other. On weekends, we try to visit her or she comes to our events to check how we are doing.

We are constantly in touch with my mother-in-law, too. Even at the age of 91, she Vibers us with photos of her latest excursion with her friends, sends us greetings and prayers, and asks how everyone is doing.

Connection is extra important for our moms and older folk, I feel. We have to remember that they sometimes get lonely because they are just at home and everyone else is busy with their lives. Luckily, technology gives us the opportunity be there for them like never before. A text, call, or chat message could easily make their day.

Last year, my mother-in-law was confined to the hospital. We were all naturally worried about her condition, but through the miracle of technology, everybody was fully updated of her condition online. When mom had to go through a procedure, our brother, who is a doctor, was inside the operating room and sent us live images of what was happening online. It was really amazing and a testament to how technology helps us be there for each other specially in times of need. The family was able to make vital decisions quickly because everyone was in touch and accessible, and mom came out of that experience even more vibrant in her 90’s than ever.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and we could all be there #LikeNeverBefore for mom!

Find out how can you have #TimeForMom #LikeNeverBefore in this video: